Order to remove father’s name from son’s passport: HC verdict on mother’s plea, father abandoned child before birth

The Delhi High Court gave this verdict on April 19, under which the father’s name was ordered to be removed from the passport of the minor child.

The Delhi High Court ordered the passport authority to remove the name of the minor son’s father from the passport. The child’s mother had filed a petition in the court regarding this. The mother had told the court that the child’s father had abandoned her before birth. She has raised the child alone as a single mother. The court gave this decision on 19 April.

When the father has completely abandoned the child, his name can be removed
Hearing the petition, Justice Pratibha M Singh said that this would be a case where the child has been completely abandoned by the father. In such a condition, the name of the father of the child may be removed from the passport and the passport may be reissued to the minor child without the father’s name.

The Delhi High Court further said that in certain circumstances the biological father’s name can be removed and the surname can be changed.

The mother said in the petition that passport officials should not insist on the father’s name
The single mother had said in her petition that since she is a single parent and the father had completely abandoned the child in her childhood. Hence the name of the father of the child should not be insisted upon by the passport authorities.